Abstract

Building on previous work on backpacking, this book takes the analysis of backpacker tourism further by engaging both with new theoretical debates into tourism experiences and mobilities as well as with new empirical phenomena such as the rise of the ‘flashpacker’ and alternative destinations. Chapters include material on flashpacking, the virtualization of backpacker culture, the re-conceptualisation of lifestyle travellers, backpackers as volunteer tourists, as well as backpackers' experiences of hostels, mobilities and their policy implications. It sets a new benchmark for the study of independent travel in the contemporary world.

This excellent edited collection by international scholars clearly demonstrates the ongoing research agenda of backpacking. It offers a critical contribution by engaging with the changing dynamics of backpacking and examines a range of complex issues. A delightful find in this book is that, not only are the mainstream destinations discussed but lesser known areas (such as: Mongolia, Tanzania and Norway) are evident and add to the book's richness.

Beyond Backpacker Tourism provides a useful overview of the current state of backpacking and of the kind of research being undertaken on the subject.

Beyond Backpacker Tourism is the newest edited volume to be produced by the Backpacker Research Group (BRG) of the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education. It follows Backpacker Tourism (Hannam & Ateljevic, 2008) and The Global Nomad (Richards & Wilson, 2004). While the editors stress they did not attempt to provide an ‘‘exhaustive account of backpacker tourism research’’ (p. 1), they nevertheless succeed in presenting a thorough picture of developments within backpacker research that is as enlightening as the two previous offerings.

Kevin Hannam is Chair of the ATLAS Backpacker Research Group (BRG). He is currently Professor of Tourism Development at the University of Sunderland, UK. He has published widely on tourism theory and is co-author of the text Understanding Tourism and co-editor of the journal Mobilities.

Anya Diekmann is coordinator of ATLAS Europe. She is Assistant Professor at the IGEAT and co-director of LIToTeS (Laboratoire interdisciplinaire Tourisme, Territoire et Sociétés), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. Her publications include work on social tourism and aspects of cultural tourism with a particular focus on heritage and ethnic tourism.